Overview

• The IDF and Shin Bet announced late Wednesday that two hostage bodies were retrieved in southern Gaza.
• One victim was identified as 59-year-old Yair Yaakov, who was killed by Islamic Jihad militants during the October 7, 2023 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz.
• At the family’s request, the second recovered body remains unnamed as the military arranges their return for burial.
• These operations bring June’s total to five retrieved bodies and underscore efforts to account for the 53 captives still held in Gaza.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum have called for a comprehensive agreement to secure the remaining hostages’ release.